Disclaimer: Warcraft and World of Warcraft are the intellectual property of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. and are being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. No infringement or disrespect of the copyright holders of Warcraft, World of Warcraft, or their derivative works is intended by this fanfiction.

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One Week a Month, or: Asric and Jadaar at the Faire, Chapter 2

by silverr

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"Maybe you should – " Asric started to say.

"Sir? Sir? Are you the manager of this Faire?" Jadaar demanded as he stomped toward the ogre and the gnome.

Burth – who held an extremely large, extremely shiny two-headed axe – stepped protectively in front of Silas. "Gotta go through me to get to the boss," he said, poking the head of his axe against Jadaar's chest.

"It's all right Burth," Silas piped up. "My, you're a tall one!"

"Ah … " Jadaar seemed stymied how to deliver his indignation to the top of Silas' hat, and started to go down on one knee.

"Oh, none of that," Silas said, and snapped his fingers. Burth lifted him up, then held his forearm level, making a ledge for Silas to stand on. "That's better! Face to face! Now, how can I help you?"

Jadaar held up the flyer. "This advertisement – is it from a troll named Griftah? If so, you should know that he is a swindler! A seller of trinkets and trickery!"

"Really?" Silas seemed shocked. "How do you know this?"

Asric cut in. "We've had dealings with him before."

"Oh?"

"Yes. He previously operated out of Shattrath's Lower City district – "

"Oh yes, Terokkar Forest! We used to pitch in Outland, back when Shadowmoon and Netherstorm were the hotspots for adventurers." Silas adjusted the brim of his hat. "You came all the way from Outland to inform me of this? That's very … proactive."

"No," Jadaar said, "we came looking for employment."

"What kind of work were you looking to do?"

"I have a background in peacekeeping – " Jadaar began.

" – and I'm an investigator," Asric cut in. "With extensive knowledge of magical items."

Silas shrugged, "We don't have need for an investigator here. But … " He hmmd thoughtfully and contemplated Jadaar. "Peacekeeper, eh? What do you think, Burth? Security?"

"I have a commendation from the Stormwind Guard. Signed by King Varian himself!" Jadaar said, taking out the parchment to show to Silas.

"It's signed by Wrynn's assistant, not the king," Asric muttered, then asked, "Security? Would that be like – guarding the take?"

"I do that," Burth growled. "I guard money. No one else."

"I was thinking more … police force," Silas said. "So, Mister Jadaar …. think you'd be interested in keeping the peace here?"

"What sort of crime do you have?" Jadaar asked. He elbowed Asric, who was ogling a purple-haired female troll who had stopped nearby to sweep the packed earth of the midway.

"Mostly petty squabbles and minor incidents," Silas said with a wave of his hand. "Fairegoers who've had too much to drink and forgotten how to use the outhouses. Sore losers from the pit matches. Pranksters defacing property. Show-offs annoying the animals. And, er … domestic unrest from time to time."

"I can do that," Jadaar said firmly. He saw from the corner of his eye that the troll was now sliding her hands up and down her broom handle in a rather suggestive manner. He kicked the mesmerized Asric discreetly.

"You also might be asked to work special events," Silas said. "Events pay double the base rate, but takes extra vigilance. And there's a slight risk of violence."

"I can handle myself."

Silas laughed. "Glad to hear it. I love working with goats – you're all so dependable!"

"I'm dependable too," Asric said, paying attention now that the saucy troll had moved on. "I can be violent. And I can go undercover to catch pickpockets – I'm familiar with the ways of petty thieves!"

Burth snorted.

"Well," Silas shrugged, "you have to understand. I have a very limited number of open positions. Most of the people here have been with me for years."

"I suppose they have – seniority," Asric said, making it sound criminal.

"More than that," Silas replied, "The Faire is their home, their family – Sometimes literally." He looked from Jadaar to Asric and back again. "Well, I'll see what I can do. Burth, is there anything for Mister Jadaar's friend?"

"Pick up trash," Burth said with relish. "Clean outhouses." At Asric's horrified expression he continued, "Rat patrol – nah, probably he no like that either."

"Why? What it it?" Asric asked. "Shooting at vermin? I can do that!"

"No," Burth said. "Set and empty traps."

"That doesn't sound too bad." Asric looked at Jadaar for confirmation.

"Set up easy. Empty not so easy." Burth grinned. "Takes work to scrape rat pieces out."

Asric looked faintly green. "Pieces?"

"Is there anything else open?" Silas asked.

"Help Ellie with Jumbo cleanup." Burth chuckled evilly. "Maybe give him Faire Kare."

"What's that?" Asric demanded.

"We have quite a few young ones in the Darkmoon family," Silas said. "Faire Kare is – keeping them occupied so that they stay out of harm's way."

"Babysitting?" Asric shuddered. "No, no, I – no."

"Oh!" Silas jumped excitedly, and would have fallen had Burth not grabbed his belt. "What about that – VIP situation?"

Burth lifted his arm in order to whisper to Silas.

"My thoughts exactly!" Silas nodded at Burth, then said to Jadaar and Asric, "VIP is a special assignment. Taking extra-premium care of a Very Important Personage who will need to be guarded 'round the clock – and I do mean waking and sleeping. You two could share the job by taking shifts, if you want, though you'd have to split the pay."

"We'll do it!" Asric said.

Jadaar looked doubtful. "Who is it? The King of Stormwind? The High Priestess of Elune?"

"The Regent of Silvermoon? Or Aethas Sunreaver?" Asric asked eagerly.

"Oh someone much more important to the success of my Faire than any of those people," Silas said with a handwave. "Now, this VIP isn't here yet, but you can use the time until then to become familiar with the Fairegrounds. Let's get you set up with Selina, and then you can go introduce yourself to everyone."

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Selina turned out to be the Forsaken woman who had greeted them at the entrance to the Faire, and after Silas had introduced Asric and Jadaar as the Faire's newest employees she handed them each a colorful but slightly tattered tabard. "I'm always behind on the mending!" she said cheerfully, then waggled her finger at Jadaar. "And take your chest armor off first, sir, please! Your bare skin will be much kinder to my silk babies than your chain mail. Not to mention it gives us ladies something to look at." She winked.

Asric snorted.

"Keep tabard on at all times," Burth said. "And pants," he added darkly to Asric.

"What? Me?"

"The tabard will let you eat and drink at no charge," Silas said. "Within reason, of course."

"Of course. Thank you for giving us this opportunity, Mister Darkmoon, " Jadaar said with a small bow as Silas and Burth left.

"Oh, stop ass-kissing," Asric said a moment later as they left Selina's tent. "You're even less tolerable when you grovel."

Jadaar ignored this. "Let's each take half," he said, "and meet up at the dock in an hour to compare notes. Keep an eye out for anything that looks like a security risk. You can take this side, I'll do the right half."

Asric made a face. "The right side has far fewer – "

"Fine, you take the right and I'll take the left."

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An hour or so later Jadaar sat, unaccountably happy, at the edge of the dock. The Faire looked as though it would be a much more enjoyable experience than he had expected. After first slipping behind the barrier to look into the East pavilion, which – based on the half-dozen large metal tubs and containers of soap stacked inside – looked to be the Faire's laundry, he had then found himself agreeing with a small girl at the sandbox that the "dragon bone" her playmate had found was indeed from an elekk. From there he had gone on to discuss the crash of the Exodar with a Professor Paleo, and then discovered that a familiar face, Aimee the baker extraordinaire from Dalaran, was running the sweets stall. Findlay Coolshot had explained the tonk game – all the while keeping a steadying hand on an extremely uncoordinated fellow dwarf. Sylannia and Stamp Thunderhorn in the southern picnic area had given him his first taste of free Faire food, and Jadaar found the cheap beer and roasted drumstick exceptionally tasty. At Stamp's suggestion Jadaar had then worked his way back between the corral and the south pavilion to introduce himself to Chronos, who was in charge of a small area – which, surprisingly, was not fenced off from the surrounding forest – where both carnies and equipment were repaired out of sight of the public. After that Jadaar circled around to Soothsayer Sayge, talked to Jessica Rogers of the ring toss (she had apparently inherited the drunken dwarf from Findley) and then chatted a while with Yebb Neblegear about the superiority of horses over elekks as mounts. He'd spent the last part of the hour admiring the animals in the zoo area, introducing himself to Breanni and Ellie Goodup, and dodging a penguin that apparently found his knees a delicacy. "Aw, he likes you!" Breanni had giggled, and Jadaar had joked that if this was affection he hoped that the penguin wouldn't fall in love with him.

And now here he was, sitting on the dock next to the fishermen, watching Fairegoers fly through the air and splash into a ring of rope floating on the water.

The things some people did for relaxation.

Sitting on the dock, though, was very pleasant. The soft slosh of the waves, the mild breeze that ensured he was upwind of the zoo, the faint sounds of laughter and music in the distance … it was restful.

So restful that he lost track of time until Ellie – who took her animals out for walking exercise every quarter hour – said, "You lost, hon?"

"No, I'm … waiting for someone," Jadaar said.

"Maybe they're lost?" Ellie said, then continued on with her lion.

"Maybe, "Jadaar said. He got up from the dock with a sigh and went back to the entrance of the Faire, checking to see who on the right half had seen Asric. Most were too busy setting up their game stalls to remember – only the goblin token vendor was sure she hadn't, saying, "A ginger? Ooooh, I'd've remembered that!" The West Pavilion was empty, the fire jugglers just shrugged, the strong woman shook her head, and Jadaar almost found himself questioning Kolin the dancing bear when Boomie Sparks, the fireworks vendor, motioned to him.

"What you lookin' for, bud?" the goblin asked.

"I seem to have lost my friend, " Jadaar said. "We were just hired. We split up to look around the Faire grounds, and now I can't find him. He's a blood elf, reddish hair – ."

"Ah ha," Boomie said. "Yeah, he's 'seeing the sights' all right. Went back toward the crapshacks about an hour ago with Trix." He pointed.

"Thank you!" Jadaar said, hurrying around the fireworks display and past the crates of medical supplies – he was surprised to see a second clinic area, was working the Faire really so dangerous? – and past some wagons toward the row of outhouses.

As he approached the outhouses he heard a voice – Asric's – in great distress, pleading, "Stop! You're killing me!"

Jadaar ran around the corner. Past a tall stockpile of medical supplies, ammo, and foodstuffs was an open wagon. In the wagon were Asric and the purple-haired troll who had been sweeping near them earlier. Both Asric and the troll were shirtless. Asric was tied spreadeagled in the wagon. The troll was sitting on him, leaning over to dangle her –

"Ah-haha, Jadaar, there you are," Asric said breathlessly. "I was wondering where you went."

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Once Trix had left – she'd taken her time untying Asric, even with Jadaar's blue-faced help, and then planted a final kiss on the whimpering elf before donning her tabard – Jadaar gripped the side of the wagon to stop from throttling Asric.

"Two hours," he said, "We have not been here even two hours, and already you are …. not performing your duties!"

"Oh, I'd have performed," Asric smirked, "if that minx – "

"What were you thinking? We have been hired by Darkmoon to provide security! He has entrusted us with the care of a valued guest! And you, you – " Jadaar was out of words.

"It doesn't matter," Asric said. "Trix told me who the VIP is, and you're not going to like it."

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~ To be continued ~

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(01) 8 March 2012